'Open up railways to ease road traffic jams'.

More local rail services must be provided to ease road congestion, a transport boss says.

The call came at a conference to launch lobby group Transport 2000's rail manifesto for the region yesterday.

Head of strategy at Tyne and Wear transport group Nexus Ken Kemp said better rail services were vital for economic development.

The first priority should be restoring a fast and effective link between Tyneside and Teesside, Mr Kemp said. Services were axed by the Strategic Rail Authority to free tracks for intercity services.

He said: "High quality, long-distance links are needed. These are largely, but not exclusively focused on the East Coast Main Line. There are already concerns about its capacity, both within the region and to the south, yet there is no impetus to address those issues.

"The capacity problems on the East Coast Main Line mean that there is absolutely no scope for additional local services.

"Yet with growing congestion in the region, this is what we shall need."

Transport 2000's document calls for re-opening of the Leamside line, east of Durham, to take pressure off the East Coast Main Line, putting passenger trains on the Ashington line, new express links from the region to major UK cities and an extension of the Tyne and Wear Metro.